Michel Platini will not stand against Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency and will instead run for re-election as the Uefa president.

The 59-year-old Frenchman told Uefa delegates in Monaco that he had decided against standing for the Fifa post as he wants to continue his work as the head of European football’s ruling body.

Platini said after the meeting: “This is the decision I have made. It is about what I want to do with Uefa.”

The Fifa executive committee member Michel D’Hooghe welcomed Platini’s decision not to oppose Blatter. He said: “It was a very positive message. He said he would like to continue as Uefa president and I am pleased that it means that this time there will be no battle between Fifa and Uefa.”

Platini’s decision comes as little surprise – standing against Blatter would have been an uphill struggle and would have meant the Frenchman not running for the Uefa presidency in March.

There is, however, certain to be continuing pressure from Europe for Fifa to carry out more reforms and Platini remains unhappy Blatter, who was once his mentor, has reneged on his public promise not to stand for another term.

Five of Fifa’s six continental bodies have already announced their support for Blatter, only Europe has publicly opposed him.

Platini said he would strongly defend the number of Europe’s World Cup places – and argue for them to be increased from 13 to 15 for the next tournament in Russia in 2018 as the current world champions are from Europe. He said: “Whether it is the number of places given to European teams at the World Cup, defending the sovereignty of the European associations, the international match calendar or solidarity revenue: European football knows that it can count on me to be at the forefront on these issues. Because what matters here is not me or my feelings. What matters is the future of Uefa, and of football. Uefa and European football have never been as strong and powerful as they are today and I have every intention of guarding this supremacy.”